Eyelash adornments have existed in the form of false eyelashes for many years. They are typically used as a beauty accessory, but also find application in stage, screen and modeling environments, where enhanced lash visibility is often desired for a variety of reasons.
False eyelashes take many conventional forms, and may be arranged in three broad classes.
The first class contains “unitary” lashes (generally sold in pairs), where a single assembly is provided for each eye. Such an assembly generally includes an elongate base portion and hair filaments formed from synthetic fibers or natural hair. The base portion defines a mounting portion from which the hair filaments extend and it therefore typically corresponds approximately to the shape of the edge of an eyelid (hereafter referenced as “a lash line”, regardless of whether individual native lash filaments are present in that area). The mounting portion is generally temporarily affixed to the lash line using an adhesive strip, or a liquid or paste adhesive. Where used, the adhesive strip is often pre-fixed to the mounting portion by the manufacturer. The liquid/paste type adhesive may be applied as part of the affixation process.
While being the easiest type of lash to fit, unitary lashes present a number of practical problems. One of these problems is that the seemingly ergonomic shape of the mounting portion frequently fails to match the curvature of the lash line of a specific wearer, causing distortion of the lash and/or failure of adhesion. The length of the mounting portion may fail to match the length of the lash line of the wearer. In such a case, modification by cutting is often not possible, due to the structure of the lash, or is simply avoided by the wearer through fear of failure of the lash or an unsatisfactory result. Unitary lashes are also a universal solution and generally take no account of the specific needs of the wearer. In other words, while most unitary lashes will indeed visually enhance the eyes of a certain wearer, in other cases they could look unnatural and/or even detract from the natural appearance of the wearer.
The second class comprises what are generally known as “individual” lashes. These individual lashes are packaged in groups of, for example, forty or fifty pieces, a desired number of which can be affixed to the lash line one-by-one in a row. Despite their name, these individual lashes are not usually composed of a single lash filament. Instead, each individual lash will typically be made up of three or four connected lash filaments.
Individual lashes may function better in certain applications than unitary lashes, but also can be rather problematic to fit; it may be difficult to control the small individual lashes and place them in the desired location. Even when the desired location is achieved, arranging the individual lashes to be geometrically sympathetic with the natural lash line can be difficult. Individual lashes may not adhere adequately, which may occasion the use of a glue of such strength as to possibly cause health and safety concerns. Maintaining the necessary accuracy during the process of affixing twenty or more individual lashes can challenge the skills of even the most seasoned cosmetic professional; self-affixation to achieve desired results may be nearly impossible for many prospective wearers.
The third type of eyelash adornments are “corner” lashes, which are generally packaged in pairs and are intended to be used at the lateral corner of an eye. While corner lashes will fit the majority of eyes, they generally have a very specific shape, so might not fit well or look natural for every wearer. Corner lashes also do not generally integrate themselves well into the lash filaments of the natural lash line, as there is no bridge, adjoining, or camouflage-type feature at the edge of the corner lash that aids in blending it into the natural eyelash.